You Are Missing In My Heart!

Answered!

 

Thanks a lot BB!

 

Very true! Lets see what Abhi has to face Thanks Anupama for your nice FB!

 

You made my day @minesotasundari ! Thanks for your generous FB And btw, like you user name

 

Thanks Meerutha!! Really glad and am flattered by your sweet FB!! Thanks for the encouragement

 

Thanks dear Leena! Posting now!!

 

Part 15:

Both Nethra and Abhinay did not want to tell anything about what had happened to Samyuktha and alarm her. So the story for Samyuktha was that there was a burglary in one of the houses in the apartment and since Nethra’s flat-mate also had not yet returned, it was not safe for Nethra to stay there.

“You did the right thing Abhu.. good that you didn’t leave her there”, saying so she turned to Nethra with a smile and said, “see didn’t I ask you to spend the weekend with me? Now God has sent you back to me”

Knowing Samyuktha, Nethra almost expected this kind of a reaction from her, so smiling she hugged Samyuktha mildly and said, “I know you would say this Maa”

Abhinay, if only he had a camera in his hands, would have captured that moment. The two most important women in his life, he thought and as always he was proud of their natural bonding.

Abhinay left for his office and since Nethra was not mentally ready to return back to work, she stayed at home with Samyuktha. She informed Karthik about the day’s happenings and assured that she would return to work on Monday. Karthik was equally alarmed by the danger that she had just escaped and assured his help anytime. He also said he will check with his contacts to find a safe place for her and Aarthi to stay.


At his office, Abhinay explained Mithun everything that had happened, of course, excluding his mid-night tea and his jealous on Arjun. Mithun, who had already started considering Nethra as a family, was shocked by what he was hearing.

“What is this da machan.. I could not even imagine what would have happened if she had been there da”, he uttered in shock and continued with anger, “but, we must find that ******* and break his every bone”

“I want to slit his throat apart for even trying to take her away from me, but am really very much worried about her safety now da. I can’t ask her to stay at our place for long. At the same time, how can we be sure that she will be safe in any new place? What kind of place should I find for her? What if they try again? How can I even sleep peacefully at night knowing that the danger is still there like a knife hanging over her head? I am afraid even to let her out of my eyesight now”, his words came out in a rush, his desperation evident in his tone.

“Relax da.. nothing will happen to her.. we will make sure that she would be safe.. you stop worrying”, said Mithun trying to calm his friend.


Nethra was sitting in the living room, trying someone’s number on her mobile when Abhinay entered home. She looked up from her mobile screen and a bright smile lit her gorgeous face on seeing Abhinay.

“You came early!”, she exclaimed and said, “Amma was telling that you will reach only around eight”

He smiled and shrugged in response and diverted the topic from himself, “were you trying to break your mobile? You were so furiously tapping the screen”, he enquired.

“Oh that! I was trying to call Aju.. I mean Arjun!” she said and his mind immediately retorted sarcastically, ‘of course I know Aju means Arjun’. She continued, “Morning when I spoke to him, he said he will talk to me in the evening, but he hasn’t called back yet.. irresponsible idiot”, she added the last two words in a murmur. Hearing that, a shadow fell on Abhinay’s face and a mixture of emotions shook him. He was alarmed by her closeness with that other person and in a strange way he was happy that that Arjun did not call her back as promised. Immediately, he was also ashamed of his happiness – a happiness which was based on his envy. He realized with a fascination, the effects his love for her had on him - how he was expecting an unknown person to turn out bad and how that gave him happiness.

“You came early from office just to be a statue in the middle of the living room?”, she asked waving her hands in front of his face and he was brought back to reality.

Nethra, though she spoke playfully, noticed the change in Abhinay’s face, “what happened Abhinay? Any problem?”, she asked softly. Abhinay was both touched and taken back by the sudden concern in her voice and he stammered, “why… why are you asking?”

“coz you look very dull. You.. you seem worried” – her reply warmed him. Even this small expression of care from her gave him immense strength and a genuine smile broke across his face, “nothing Nethra.. just a hectic day at work”, he assured.

“ok.. you go and fresh up.. I will get you something to drink.. Tea or Coffee?”, she asked.

“That’s fine Nethra.. I will prepare myself.. you don’t trouble yourself”, he said

“Oh! Come on Abhi! You must not panick like this.. trust me I am not that bad a cook”, she complained.

“Haha.. ok ok.. Coffee will be better”, he said and stood watching her walk towards the Kitchen. Only then he noticed Samyuktha’s absence and asked, “where is Amma?”

“She is sleeping. Actually, we were chatting post lunch and her sleep schedule got disturbed. She went to sleep only after four”

“Oh ok.. Anyway, make Coffee for her as well.. We will wake her up, else she will not get sleep at night”, he explained and walked into his room. Nethra, involuntarily, looked up and smiled at his retreating figure.


Abhinay and his mother sat watching Nethra as she poured Coffee for them. As she handed him the cup, Abhi imagined how pleasant his evenings would be if he could have Coffee with Nethra like this for the rest of his life. This imagination triggered a series of related imaginations – in one image, Nethra cooked lunch for them and he sat on the kitchen table disturbing her with his romances, in another, both of them left together for their office and she kissed his cheek before getting out of the car, in another, Nethra was in a wedding attire and she blushed seeing him and in another, she was in bed and suddenly Abhinay shook his head as if trying to shake of the thoughts and as he saw Nethra sitting opposite him hot blood faintly colored his face. He coughed and tried to mask his expression but inspite of him, his lips trembled with a smile – the happiness those imaginations gave him was hard to control and it shone on every inch of his face.

Nethra noticed him trying to control his smile and was intrigued, “Abhinay! Whats so funny?” she asked.

Abhinay chuckled at her question, ‘you are asking whats funny? Of course I am funny and it’s you who have made me so ridiculously funny’ his mind answered as he said, “Nothing Nethra..”

But Nethra was not ready to buy that, “No no.. there is something.. what were you thinking? Tell us know! We will also laugh”, she asked.

Abhinay grinned at her and said, “it’s a long story Nethra! But definitely I will tell you one day”, and a silent promise rang in his voice which none of the ladies noticed.

Samyuktha jumped in, “You will tell only Nethra ah? Tell now know.. I will also hear”

Abhinay interrupted her before she could complete and exclaimed, “Amma! You should not ask all this”

“Why? Why?”, Samyuktha pouted.

“I mean this is about a project Ma.. its.. its.. about a design that was.. I mean a structural plan..”, he spoke all the technical words that came to his mind and Samyuktha stopped him, “Ayyo.. Always talking about work! Even your joke is about your work..”, she sighed.

Nethra understood that it was not anything about work and Abhinay was lying to his mother. ‘May be that’s something that he cannot tell his mother’, she thought, ‘and maybe that’s why he said he will tell me later’. She controlled a laugh and without Samyuktha’s knowledge she looked at Abhinay and narrowed her eyes mockingly conveying her suspicion and Abhinay who understood her look, leaned back a little to be out of his Mother’s eyesight and with alarmed wide eyes shook his head quickly signaling her not to ask anything in front of his mother. Nethra closed her lips tight to suppress a laugh but her eyes laughed at him and his eyes laughed along.

Both of them liked their secret exchange and a merry childish mood caught them. As they continued their coffee, smiling at each other every now and then, the door bell rang.

Abhinay signaled the ladies to continue and he went to attend the door. As he opened the door, he froze seeing the person who was waiting out. The very person whose very name had disturbed his peace of mind a while ago, whom he thought had forgotten to call Nethra, stood there in person!

At the same time Arjun looked at the man who opened the door. He immediately recognized seeing him in the coffee shop – the man who kept looking at Nethra in the coffee shop the other day.

Both men, almost in the same height, stood staring into each other’s eyes, trying to read into each other’s mind!

(Contd.)